It is generally known to provide padded or cushioned vehicle interior components. Padded or cushioned vehicle interior components such as trim panels (e.g., instrument panels, door panels, etc.) conventionally include a substrate made of a relatively rigid material, a relatively soft core (e.g.; a foam core), and an outer surface or skin. For example, a vehicle door panel may be cushioned to provide added comfort for an occupant of a vehicle when a portion of the occupant's body interfaces or contacts the door panel.
Various methods of providing such cushioning are known in the art, although such known methods do not provide certain advantageous features and/or combination of features. For example, one difficulty in producing panels having cushioned portions is that it may be difficult to optimize the location of the cushioned portions such that the cushioned portions are provided only in areas that are directly interfaced (e.g., contacted) by an individual. Alternatively, certain areas of vehicle interior trim panels are not contacted by passengers such as locations on a door panel proximate the floor of the vehicle. There may be little or no reason to provide cushioned portions of the door panel in such regions. Further, providing cushioned portions or regions in areas where there is no requirement to do so adds unnecessary expense (i.e., material, labor, and equipment) and may also add excess weight to the vehicle.
To provide localized cushioned portions for interior vehicle components, one known method involves coupling a cushioned component to a rigid component. For example, a relatively rigid panel (e.g., a door panel) may have coupled thereto a component that includes a relatively rigid substrate, a relatively soft skin, and a foam interior portion. One difficulty with such a method is that such method requires the use of additional components (e.g., an additional substrate, bolts or other fastening devices to secure the panel substrate to the substrate of the cushioned portion, etc.), which adds both weight and expense to the finished product.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a method for producing components such as trim panels or other structures for use in vehicles that includes a relatively soft portion or section. There is also a need to provide components that have regions of localized cushioning that are optimized based on the location likely to be interfaced by a vehicle occupant or other individual. There is also a need to provide a component that has regions of localized cushioning that has a decreased mass and requires less material than conventional components having cushioned regions. There is also a need to provide an integrally formed vehicle component that includes localized regions of cushioning. There is also a need to provide components and a method for making components that may be manufactured in a relatively simple and efficient manner with reduced manufacturing and material costs. There is also a need to provide a manufacturing method for producing components having one or more cushioned portions that utilizes existing equipment.
It is also generally known to provide for a vehicle trim panel comprised of multiple colors or multiple materials by connecting multiple pieces. Such known trim panels are typically joined together into one assembly by conventional methods such as ultrasonically welding, heat staling or mechanical fastening. Another way of producing a multi-colored trim panel is to mask specific regions and paint the desired color.
However, such multi-piece trim panels have several disadvantages including poor fit and finish due to part and assembly variation.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a molded article that is molded with multiple colors, materials, textures, and the like. It would also be advantageous to provide a vehicle trim component (e.g., door panel, pillar, instrument panel, console, etc.) with multiple colors and/or multiple materials. It would further be advantageous to provide a multi-color/multi-material trim panel that is molded as (one-piece) an article that does not need secondary joining operations and is not masked and painted. It would further be advantageous to provide a one-piece, multi-color/multi-material panel that is aesthetically desirable and creates unique styling opportunities that would not normally be executed due to high cost and poor fit and finish outcomes associated with traditional methods. It would be desirable to provide for a trim panel having one or more of these or other advantageous features. To provide an inexpensive, reliable, and widely adaptable trim panel that avoids the above-referenced and other problems would represent a significant advance in the art.